SAUL NASH KICKS OFF LFW BLENDING FUNCTIONALITY WITH SPORTSWEAR

Saul Nash, designer and choreographer, presented his SS22 collection at London Fashion Week today. Inspired by the kinetic body, the presentation was Nash’s debut solo catwalk show, and highlighted his signature blend of personal narrative with functionality, sportswear and movement.

Speaking about the collection, titled ‘Fragments’, Nash has said “So much of my inspiration comes from my teenage years, but when I left school, I swept my memories of that time out of my head. I remember school in fragments, and this collection is about piecing them back together, facing the past and, by doing so, being able to move forward,”.

This sentiment was identifiable on the runway: his collection subverted uniforms with the language of sports and casual wear, adding smarter elements while always remaining within Nash’s world. Magnets allowed the garments to morph; classic pieces deconstructed and reinterpreted; memories of clothing intentionally distorted to play with the past.

A standout piece that encapsulates Nash’s dual intention was the short-sleeve uniform shirt: appropriated and reclaimed by cutting as a zip-up jacket in crisp papery nylon (as if cotton), with cutaways at the armhole lined with mesh for ventilation. It’s an intentional distortion. “It might not be how you see a shirt,” says Nash. “It has a zip, it has the language of a tech jacket. But to me, it’s a shirt”, he continues.

Elsewhere, a dead stock nylon trench coat was deconstructed then reconfigured, with a body that attaches with magnets. The trench’s sleeves formed a separate piece, and was paired with a detachable hood. As with every piece by Nash, every detail is considered for movement.

Nash also presented his first female look, worn by his friend from school, Tolu: an ergonomically cut ribbed top with cutaways at the armholes, matched with a technical skirt that mirrors the tech shorts in the collection.

Perhaps most prominently though, Nash was able to reflect and incorporate his childhood life into the collection. A reversible nylon cagoule, seemingly plain from the outside, was printed with a warped image of Nash’s own childhood travel card. His intention was to highlight proposed threats to cut free transport for teenagers in London, journeys that, as a child, Nash himself could not have afforded.

With such a varied, and exciting offering from Nash to kick off fashion week, we look forward to seeing what he does next.